Won't Back Down
by FogsGoddess
Summary: Songfic to Won't Back Down by Tom Petty. In the final battle, Harry takes a stand.


A/N = Hey all. This is my first songfic. I wrote it awhile ago. Usually I'm not one for them but it kind of just jumped out at me. Feel free to review.

Disclaimer = I do not own HP, that's all JK. I also don't own the lyrics. That right belongs to Tom Petty and his writers.

Enjoy!

Oh. I also apologize for any mistakes, weather they be typing, spelling, or grammer. I did reread it a few times. But sometimes you miss a couple of things.

* * *

"Harry you can't do this. He'll kill you! You aren't ready to fight Him yet! Besides, you're injured. You can't fight Him while in this kind of shape. He'd eat you alive." The nineteen year old Boy-Who-Lived ignored his best friends words. Keeping his face emotionless, he stared at Hermione who was standing in front of him, trying to stop him from continuing forward.

"Move out of my way Mione. You won't be able to stop me this time."

The hysterical girl shook her head, trying to keep the tears from falling. "No! You can't. Just please leave the fight for today. We need to retreat."

Retreat?

Harry didn't need to look around to realize that she had a point. They should retreat. They being the key word.

"I'm not going to retreat. I need to end this once and for all. Before any more die by His hand." An image of Ron appeared in his mind before he was able to stop it. That had been last year. He had died to protect Harry. Well not anymore, not anyone else. No more would die because of him.

"He'll kill you!"

"Then I'll take him with me."

_Well, I won't back down.  
__No, I won't back down.  
__You can stand me up at the gates of hell  
__But I won't back down._

Not listening to her next words, he dodged around her and started walking forward. With every step he ignored the pained cries around him and tried not to look at all the bodies scattered over the ground. He had eyes for only one person and he was standing in the middle of the battle field, watching the young man slowly advance towards him.

Tom Riddle.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd get around to me Potter." The snake-like man hissed once Harry was in front of him.

Harry smirked as he fingered his wand. "Oh, I didn't forget about you Tom. I had other business to attend to."

"More funerals?"

The grip on his wand tightened at those words, but he didn t'show it. He wouldn't be beat by petty insults or childish bait.

"Better be careful Riddle, you don't know who you're messing with."

Tom Riddle smirked as he replied, "Oh, I disagree. I know exactly who I'm dealing with and I'm disappointed in what I see."

Harry growled. "I'll send you to hell!"

"I'll drag you down with me." Came the light reply.

"Think again Voldie. You'll be the only one of us dying today."

_No, I ll stand my ground.  
__Won't be turned around  
__And I'll keep this world from dragging me down  
__Gonna stand my ground  
And I won't back down_

Tom broke first. Snapping up his wand, he started firing off curses. Shocked, Harry narrowly missed them as he started to dodge. Since he had been put on defence quickly, there wasn't much he could do but avoid the spells.

The rest of the battle disappeared as they concentrated more and more on each other. Yet no matter how hard Harry searched, he couldn't find an opening. All he could do was keep moving and ignore the pain in his shoulder from the cutting curse he d been hit with earlier.

"Yes, dance for me Potter. Tom called, laughing maliciously.

Holding his anger in check, Harry looked around the area. Cursing silently, he looked around again but came up with the same results. There was no way to escape. Tom was moving him into a corner. Well, not a corner but he was slowly being surrounded by Death Eaters.

If he didn't get on the offence soon, he never would. Gritting his teeth, he continued to dodge as he tried thinking of a way to get out of the mess he was now in.

"Enjoy it while you can Old Man. You know you're going to lose in the end." Harry called out, ducking out of the way of an emerald green spell.

_I won t back- hey baby  
There ain't no easy way out  
I won't back- hey yeah  
__Will stand my ground  
And I won't back down_

"Lose? It seems you are the one losing here Potter. Not I." Tom called back as the Death Eaters around them laughed.

Before Harry knew it, he had been closed in by ten other Death Eaters. All of them had their wands raised and pointed to the young man in the middle of the circle. Tom smiled as he stood directly in front of Harry.

"Where are you going to run now?" He asked softly, momentarily pausing in his attacks. He had his prey surrounded, what did he have to worry about?

Smirking, the Boy-Who-Lived shook his head, letting his long black hair fall in front of his emerald green eyes as he replied, "Wrong again Tommy. I don't run."

"You try my patience with those silly names boy. Do you wish to die sooner?"

"I told you before, I won't be the one dying today. You will." Harry replied softly, belief strong in his voice.

Slowly, the Death Eaters around him closed in as Tom shook his head. "So you say, but where's the proof? You are the one who's surrounded. Don't underestimate me. I will defeat you. Have no fear on that respect. Hope is for fools!" Tom yelled angrily.

Harry looked down slowly. A few moments later, his voice carried over all the other sounds of the battle. "Hope is one of the only thing that keep some people alive! You can not truly live without hope! But that's something you will never able to understand. Prepare to die Tom Riddle."

"You can't defeat me. You know it as well as I do. So why try?"

"For everyone else. For myself. I can only live once. I don't get any second chances. I'd rather die knowing I accomplished what I set out to do, then die by your hands in failure."

_Well I know what's right  
I got just one life  
In a world that keeps on pushing me around  
Well I'll stand my ground  
And I won't back down_

"You're in for a big disappointment then Potter." Tom said smoothly, not to be worried by the death threats of the boy in front of him.

Slowly, Harry looked up. When his eyes met Tom's, the older wizard took a step back in shock. The young mans eyes were a fiery emerald now. They were eyes that spoke volumes, filled with death and calm rage.

They were eyes that finally put fear in the Dark Lords body.

And for the first time in his life, he regretted attacking the Potters that fateful Halloween night.

"Once again, you are wrong Tom. You see, I won't be disappointed. It is you who shall be."

Trying to regain some of his lost composure, Tom snarled back, "You speak foolishly Potter."

With a smile, Harry raised his hand that held his wand. "For eight years we have fought. Not one year did you leave me be. You killed my parents, you killed my godfather, you killed my best friend, and you ruined my future. You'll ruin my life no more. You're finished."

Before another word could pass his lips, a Death Eater yelled out the Disarming spell, making the Harry's wand fly out of his hand.

_I won't back- hey baby  
There ain't no easy way out  
I won't back- hey yeah  
Will stand my ground  
And I won't back down_

"Now what are you going to do? You're defenceless." Tom whispered as he stepped closer. The fear in his body from earlier had vanished.

Yet still, the smile did not leave the young mans face. If anything, it only grew.

"It is not the wand that's the weapon, but the person who wields it. I have warned you before, don't underestimate me." The next moment, the man disappeared. Standing in his spot however, was a huge striped tiger. On the tigers forehead was a patch of gold fur that was in the shape of a lightning bolt. Growling softly, the tiger crouched into a fighting pose.

Tom stilled as he stared at the tiger in shock. The boy was an Animagus? Since when? Why had no one informed him of this?

Yet, when the Tiger did finally strike, it wasn't Tom he attacked. No, the large feline attacked the Death Eaters around him.

As blood sprayed everywhere and bodies fell to the vicious claws, all Tom could do was watch in shock. He had never believed Potter could be cruel. He was literally tearing the hearts out of the Death Eaters bodies.

Before the Dark Lord could figure out a defence, the tiger had finished off the ten Death Eaters. Slowly, he turned around to face Tom. He was breathing fast, but there was a hungry look in the cats eyes that rooted the older man in his place.

_I won't back- hey baby  
There ain't no easy way out  
I won't back- hey yeah  
I won't back down_

Tom knew he was dead. For first time in eighteen years, he actually feared for his life. With a flash, he realized that he had indeed underestimated the Boy-Who-Lived and that had been his greatest mistake.

Slowly, the tiger crept forward, drawing out the death that awaited the man in front of it. He knew what he had to do and even though the man inside the tiger didn't agree to it, the tiger wanted it, craved it.

This was the end.

With a loud growl the tiger pounced.

_I won't back- hey baby  
There ain't no easy way out  
I won't back- hey yeah  
Will stand my ground  
__And I won't back down  
No, I won't back down_


End file.
